Gas-regulator



I. DENTON AND A. L. SKINNER.

GAS REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23,1919- 1,349,945.

0. 2 9 1 .7, 1 aw u A d m 4 /mw m d 2 2 @a M14/J a, 4 J ab .I 4 A l 'lIlIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIII'IIIIIIA UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN DENTON AND ALVA L. SKINNER, OF BRIDGEPORT, ILLINOIS.

GAS-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Arlg, 17, 1920.

Application filed October 23, 1919. Serial No. 332,758.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN DnNToN and ALvA L. SKINNER, citizens of the United States,residin0V at Bridgeport, in the county of Lawrence, vbtate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Regulators; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to separators for removing gas from oil, and conveying it automatically to a gasolene extracting plant; and the object of the same is to provide means for automatically cutting off the flow ofV gas to said plant when the volume of gas brought in with the oil decreases.

The invention consists in a novel form of automatic regulator connected up with the tank into Which the oil is pumped or into which it may feed from the well. On its course to or within this tank it isusually heated so it will more readily yield its gases, but as the heater forms no part of the present invention it is omitted. After .the gas has been extracted the oil flows from the tank referred to into a stock tank or other place of storage, but this feature also is omitted for the same reason. Finally, the details of the gasolene extracting plant are immaterial to the present invention and are likewise omitted. Otherwise the following specification sets forth one success` ful means for carrying out our invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a scaffold carrying a tank which latter is broken away to showY details on its interior, and this view gives an elevation of our improved 'regulator.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail of the regulator itself.

Mounted on legs 1 is an elevated scaold 2 supporting a tank 3 which is herein shown as taking the form of an upright cylinder, and into the same at a high point leads the feed line 4 from a pump or from a well if the oil flows therefrom with suffi` cient head; and it is possible that a heater may be employed to heat the oil before or after it reaches the tank. Beneath the out let end 5 of the pipe 4 is a dash plate 6 servn ing to break up the oil and cause it to throw off its gases. In the bottom of the tank is a valve 7 opened by a float 8 which may be set to act when the oil reaches the desired level, and when the valve is opened the oil flows out a pipe 9 to a stock tank or other reservoir not shown. It will be observed that there is considerable space in the tank 3 above what would be the level of the oil when it reaches its greatest depth, and the wet gases rising from the oil accumulate in this space. It is the purpose of the present invention to take these gases from the tank and convey them to a gasolene extracting plant, or in other words, to purify the gas so that it may be used and the gasolene and other by-products or impurities or substances earried thereby may also be conserved if they are useful. The mixed oil and gas comes to the tank under some pressure, which at different times and under different conditions will vary to some extent, and this variation is to be considered and overcome by the regulator which forms the gist of our invention and is next to be described.

As shown herein a bracket 10 on the tank supports a receptacle 11 of generally cupshape wherein will collect the condensation which takes place when the hot gas strikes the relatively cold body of this receptacle. The latter communicates at a low point 12 Ywith the tank, and the condensed oil flows therethrough constantly, or may be permitted to flow on occasions and cut off at others if the drain pipe contains a cock or valve. It might even be possible to provide this pipe with a check valve, but these details are hardly necessary of illustration. The receptacle has a cover 13 secured by bolts 14 passing through it and the flange 15 of the body, and these bolts pass also through a flexible diaphragm 16 which preferably carries a large plate 17 on its lower face to protect it as far as possible from the wet gas. The diaphragm closes the mouth of the receptacle so that the latter becomes a pressure chamber as explained below. At its center the cover has an opening 18, and mounted upon the cover as by screws 19 is an upstanding valve body or casing 20 provided internally with a seat 21 against which closes a valve 22. The

valve stem passes down through a stuit.

ing box 24 mounted in a partition 25, and is coupled as at '2G with a stem 2T which is fastened to the diaphragm and its plate as by nuts 28 andwashers 29 above and below the same as shown. V

The valve stem rises above the valve and carries a piston 30 working within a cylinder 31 and having rings 32 to prevent leakage, and'above the piston a rod 33 passes let line 43 leads to thegasolene extracting plant-from a point 44 between said seat and the cylinder and its piston 30. 'A branch vpipe or balance line 45 Connects the gas line 40 with the pressure chamber within the receptacle 11, entering the latter' 'at' a hi'gl point as indicated at 4G.

Ordinarilythe gas is drawn to the eX tracti'ng lplant 'by suction` on' the' line '413, and this suction is usually `surl'lic'i'ent. At 'the outlet side of thev'valve of vthis regulator thereis generally "a heavy vacuum which is applied to the gas line 43 fromthegasoleneplant. This draws-the gas fromthe tank `3 through theinlet line 40 and valve 2Q, but in case the gas should Vbecome eX- haustedv in the tank to a considerable'degree, the result will of course be la partial vacuum. Through the balance line 45 this vacuum within the i pressure chamber 'immediately acts on vthe diaphragm"16l which in descending draws down on the stem 23 and'c'los'es the valve 22 against its seat '21. The suction through the line 43 is inow cut olf, and ygas accumulates withinthe tank. Eventually this destroys thevacuum within' the chamber 11 beneath the diaphragm, 'and permits thespring 35 to again open the valve 22; and immediately the "gas resumes its .low from the -tank to the extracting plant.

The purpose of the Apiston disposed 'within the cylinder 31 above the outlet 44, 'is to oppose the v'tendency otsuction on the gas line`43 to open the valve 22;' and 3the purpose ofthe spring and its adjusting nut "36 is `to aiiiord means for counterbalancing the vweight ot `:the several elements mounted on Vthe stem and to enable `the operator to `adj ust the: same from time to` time'as necessary. The stem'23below the valve should bequite small where itl passes through the vstalling box, so as to reduce the chance of leakage;

and the coupling v26 is obviously for the purpose of 'disconnecting this stem from the diaphragm stem 2'( when the 'entire valve .casing is removed from the cover "13 by withdrawing the screws 19. This regulator can be throwntout of actionany time by closing` vthestop-c'ock 41. The wall'oi' the re- -ceptacle 11 may be provided with an outlet opening 49 which is usually Vclosed by a plug, but when it is possibleto pass the gas directly through the receptacle to the extracting plant under its own pressure, a pipe may lead from the opening 49 to the ypla-nt andthe cock 41 be closedlif the'regu 'later is to be-put out of action. As above suggested, the condensate within the receptacle may flow` constantly into *the tank orbe drawn off from time t'otime.

'Vhat is claimed is: t

1. 'In a regulator,` of the ltype described, the combination with .a pressure chamber,

'a diaphragmtherein,avalve casing including a cylinder, va partition, andi a seat. be-

tween them, an inlet line entering a casing between the' seat land-partition and branched to the'press'ure chamberfan'd 'an outlet line leading 'from thecasing'betw'een cthe seat `and cylinder; of a valve enacting withithe seat, a -piston'movable in said cylinder, 'a

stem connecting the valve land piston,

stuffing box in -said partition, and a'second stem connectedtwith the valve Yand leading through'the stuflingbox to said diaphragm.

2. In a 'regulatorfof the 'typedescribech the combination with a diaphragm `and a chamber inclosing the same, a valve casing rising romthe chamber and'having inlet and outlet openings wit-hva seat between them and a cylinder Labove the outlet opening, an inletline leading into the casing chamber, and an outlet vline leading ro'm the said outlet opening; of ka valve coacting with the seat, a stem leading therefrom through the partition and connected with said diaphragm, a secondy stem leading` from the valve, apiston .on` this stem slidably mounted'in said cylinder, arrod ,leading from the piston, anda spring on fthe rod tending to unseat-the-valve, as described.

4. In a regulatorfof the'Z type described, the combination with` a diaphragm'and --a chamber'inclosing the same, a valve casing rising` Vfrom the chamber: and having vinlet and outlet openings with a seat between them and a -cylinder Vabove the outlet opening, an inlet line leading into the easing rod, and a Spring on the rod between the below the seat and branched into said chamnut', and Cap plate, as described. ber, and an outlet line leading from the In testimony whereof we aix our signaeasing above its seat; of a valvehcoactng tures, n the presence of two witnesses.

5 with the seat, a stem depending t erefrom and connected with said diaphragm, a stem rising from the valve, a piston on this stem J' slidably mounted in said cylinder, a cap Witnesses: plate for the latter, a rod rising from the F. W. KALEY,

10 piston through the cap plate, a nut on said A. B. LEACH. 

